Small models of airplanes and spacecraft are used to:

  • test new designs
  • learn more about history
  • learn how things are built 

Activities:       Make a Mini-Glider       Make a Paper Airplane

Activity: Make a Mini Glider Plane

Making a small model of a bigger aircraft can help you learn its parts.

What is a glider? It's a type of airplane that doesn't have an engine and flies by gliding through the air like a big paper airplane.  

Ages 4 to 8

Materials

  • cotton swabs
  • colored paper
  • scissors
  • glue or tape

Parts of a Glider

An illustration of a glider with different parts labeled with letters. The wing is an "A," the cockpit a "B", the body a "C," and parts of the tail "D" and "E."

A - Wing
B - Nose
C - Fuselage (body)
D - Tail
E - Elevator

What to Do

Video Instructions

Written Instructions

Step 1: Take the cotton swab and pull the cotton off of one end. The end will be the tail, the center of the swab is the fuselage, and the cottony tip is the nose.

Step 2: Make the wings

  • Get your colored paper and scissors, and cut a strip for the wings and elevator.
  • You can decide how wide or skinny you want your wings to be.
  • Use your cotton swab to measure the wings to be a half-inch longer than the swab.

Step 3: Attach the wings

  • Use your cotton swab to find the center of your wing.
  • Add glue to that center area of the wing
  • Then press the cotton swab on the glue, with the edge of the cottony end touching the wing.
  • Next fold the wings up around the cotton swab so they're even.
  • Hold this and count to 5 to make sure the glue dries a bit.

Step 4: Make a tail

  • Take another strip of colored paper and measure it to be the length of one side of the wing. Cut this piece to make the tail.
  • Glue the tail on the same way you glued the wings on, but at the tail end.
  • Don't forget to hold and count to 5 for the glue to dry!

Step 5: Finish up your glider and fly it

  • Fold the wings and tail down so they resemble a glider.&
  • Hold the glider between the wings and the tail and throw it gently. See it fly!

Follow these steps and experiment with the wing shape and length.

Step 6: Share your creation with a loved one. Can you tell them the different parts of your glider?

Activity: Make a Paper Airplane

Paper airplanes are a great model for learning how things move through the air. Learn how to fold a paper airplane, fly it and see what happens when you make changes to it.

Ages 9 and up

Materials

  • paper
  • paper clips
  • wire hanger or something to make a hook

What to Do

Step by step instructions show how to fold a paper airplane.

Fold the Airplane

1. Fold the paper in half, then open it back up.

2. Fold the top corners to the middle line made by folding it in half.

3. Fold the sides in again so the corners touch the middle line.

4. Fold the paper in half along the first fold.

5. Fold down both wings so the top corners touch the bottom edge. 

6. Open the wings so they are flat and level when the plane flies.
Now you're ready to fly!

Test It Out

An illustration of a paper airplane with paper clips on the back flying through a hoop made out of a clothes hangar.
  • Gently bend up the back corners of the wings (like in the picture). This helps the plane fly straight.
  • Bend a wire coat hanger into a circle and hang it up.
  • Put three paper clips on the back of the plane's tail (like in the picture).
  • Try to fly the plane through the hoop.
  • Now, move the paper clips to the front of the plane and try flying it through the hoop again.

What do you notices is different? 

Find Out What Happens When You Move the Paperclips

The Science

Experimenting with paper airplanes can help you learn about aerodynamics - how things move through the air.

The four main ideas of aerodynamics are:

Lift

This is what makes things go up. Think of an airplane's wings. When the air moves over and under the wings, it helps lift the plane into the sky.

Drag

This is the air pushing against you, like when you're riding your bike. It tries to slow you down.

Thrust

This is the force that moves something forward. When you throw a paper airplane, your hand gives it thrust.

Gravity

This is the force that pulls everything down to the ground. It's why your paper airplane eventually comes down.

So, when you make a paper airplane, you're playing with all these forces! 

Dive Deeper

NASA Wind Tunnel Engineers

Before building the real airplane, engineers use models to test their designs. Check out this video to see how NASA engineers use a big wind tunnel to do these tests on aircraft and other surprising things! 

Soar Together at Air and Space is made possible by the generous support of Northrop Grumman.

A young child with joy on his face holds up an airplane at Soar Together.

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